Safety hook



April 7, 1925. I 1,532,927

T. NOWLAND SAFETY HOOK Filed June 16, 1924 I N VEN TOR.

' Theopolzlsfiwland Patented Apr. 7, 192

rn eoroms nownann, or rinwronnnnonn ISLAND.

SAFETY HOOK.

Application filed June 16, 1924. Serial No, 720,314.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, Trrnoroms NOWLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Safety Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety hooks for loading and unloading purposes and of that type that may be termed a cargo hook, and has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter setforth, a safety hook provided with a retaining element for the load and locking means for said element actuated manually and eXteriorly thereof to release the same to permit of the removal of the load.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety hook, ina manner as hereinafter set forth, with a retaining element for the load arranged to overlap exteriorly the bill of the hook and a spring controlled locking means cooperating exteriorly and interior-1y with respect to the locking element for maintaining the same in looking position, and with said means manually operated exteriorly of the hook body for the purpose of releasing the locking element to permit of the removal of the load.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a safety hook, which is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, compact, thoroughly eflicient and convenient in its use, readily assembled, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of theclaims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safety hook, in accordance with this invention, illustrating the retainingelement in retaining position in full lines and released position in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the hook when closed. i Figure 3 is an edge'view, tion, of the hook.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the looking member.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of. theshifting member for the retaining element.

partly in sec- Referring to the drawings in detail, 1.

indicates the shank of the hook, which is of tapered contour and provided near its outer end with an opening 2, which is eccentrically'disposed with respect to the longitudinal center of the shank.

Extended from the inner end of the shank 1, at one side thereof, is a curved hookB, formed with a bill 4:, spaced from the other side of the inner end of the shank l.

The inner end of the shank 1 is provided with a groove 5,-whiclr is continued, as at 6, on the inner face of the hook 3 for a portion of the length of said inner face.

The outer end of the groove 5 is open, and the inner end closed by a wall 7, arranged in thehook 3. The outer face of the bill 4 is provided with a rectangular socket 8, a substantial distance from the free terminus of the bill. r

The hook 3 has its outer edge flush with one side edge of the shank 1, and the other side consists of a curved body portion 13 of a length to overlap the outer edge of the bill 4, and said body portion 13 has its inner face provided with a lug l-tfor seating in the socket 8 when the hookis closed. The forward part of the body portion 13 has its outer edge provided with a groove 15, which terminates in an opening 15 at theforward terminus of the body portion 13.

The forward terminus of the body'portion 13 1s provlded with a pair of spacer. arms 17, 18', which are offset with respect to said forward terminus and each of said arms is positioned against the shank 1., which is formed with an opening 19, in alignmentwith the opening 2 and positioned in proximity to the groove 5. Each 7 of said arms is apertured, as at 20, and'extending through the apertures ofthe arms and the opening 19 is a bolt 21 for pivotally conncctingthe retaining element 1-2 tothe shank 1. The bottom 22 of the groove inclines inwardly towards the opening 16 to provide a clearance for the pivoted end ofa locking member tobe presentlyreferred I to. The bolt 21 has its 116216 23 abut against the arm 18 and its shank extended from the arm 17, and mounted on the shankis a .20;

securing nut 24:.

The locking men'iber-for-the retaining ele ment is. indicated generally by the-reference character. 25 and iscarried by said retaining element 1-2 and, Operates in the groove 9 and engages thewall lO'of-the latter forthe purpose of maintaining theretaining element-12 in retaining.positionto close the hook. The

locking me1nber'25comprises a forward portion 26, an intermediateportion-27 and a rear portion 28. The intermediate portion 1 27 is ofi'greater width, than the portions 26 and 28.1 'Theinner, terminus ofthe rear poinon-2a. is enlarged, as indicated-at 29, and provided with an opening 30-andposit1oned 'kin' theugroove 15 and opening 16-of the-retaining element '12. I The forward terminus ofpthe body portionl3-of theretalningelemerit-12,"as Well asthar'ear termini of the.

arms 17 andI18 areapertured, indicated "at 3l. fillCil'WlfllQlliLlU-Hl with the opennig 3l) of the locklng member and extend ng through said aligning, apertures and openings is a headed bolt 32,vwhich- 'hastheshanli thereof extended from the arm '17, and

mountedonsaid'shanh is a securing nut Tliezbolt 3L pivotally connects the locking member 25 to vtl'ie retaining element 12. The ntermediate portion 27, as 'well as the forward portion--26, of-the locking memv-be'r, projects outwardly from the arms 17 .and 18:-andl said forward portion 26 is adaptedto slide in the-groove 9 and when the member 25 is in locking position, the

forward terminus of t he forward portion 26 abuts against the :wall 10 of thegroove which holds the retaining member aga nst :thebill 4 andwitlr the lug l i in the socket 8, whereby thehook 3 is closed. The locking member 25 has its outerlface provided with-a lengthwise groove 3%, in

whichslides flat spring 35, for controlling I said lochingmember-25. The spring 35 vis of saylength to extend into the groove 15- and 1s iixedlyiconneoted to'ithe retaining element 12 by the hold-fastdevlce 36. A pm 37 en tends transversely of the groove 15, f0rwardly of the hold-fast device 36 and bears on the spring 35 and constitutes a holding-- 'down element for the rear portion of the spring in advance of the hold-fast device 36 The locking member 25 is shifted to releasedposition manuallyi :The released posishank 1., forwardly with respect to the wa l 'tion of the locking member is indicated of the spring 35, automatically assumes loching position when the retaining element is inanually shifted to retaining position with the lug 1d seated in the socket 8.

When the locking member 25 is manually shifted to released position,theretaining element -12is automatically shifted to openv position and for such purpose a shifting member 38 is employed and which is 1n the form of a spring controlled pawl. The

shifting member 38 has one-side edge thereof curved, as indicated at 39 to rideagainst the inner side edge of the retaining element v 12. The other side edge of the member 38 is flat, asat 1G andridingagainst. said edge 40 is a curved controlling spring 3 41 which has a portion 8 thereof project from the groove 5. The-spring 41 is extended around.

pine -42, which extends transversely of that portionv 6'01? the groove 5, formed in the inner; side edge of; the hook 3. The spring 4. 1 has'one end fixedly secured in the portion 6 of the groove 5, by a hold-fast dc-- vice 43,;whi'chis arranged rearwardlyof and spaced from the pin 42.

The member 38 has one end formed with an opening 4 1, and theapertured end of the member 38 positioned in the groove 5.

Extending through the shank 1 and the aperture 445, of the member 38,- is a bolt 46 for pivotally connecting the member 38 to the shank 1. The member 38 projects towards and engages'at all times the inner face of the retaining element 12, and through the actionof the spring 41 when the locking member 25, shifted. to. released position, the n'iember 38 forces the retaining element 12 to open position as indicated in; dotted lines, Figure 1.. i

As before stated the spring 41 slides against the edge 40 ofthe member 38 and is retained thereon through the medium of a pair, of. spacedguid'e lugs 47, 18, which are inte 'ral, with the sides ofthe member 38 and project from the edge 40.

The spring (l1. notonlyacts as a means to provide for the shifting'of the retaining'eleme1it'12 to openv position, butv when-the element 12 is n closedposition, the spring 41 I further acts to retain the member 25 in abutting engagement with the wall 10, as such spring 41 will exert an outward pressure on the element 12 which will be transmitted to the member 25.

Extending through the opening 2 of the shank 1, is a pivot element 49 for a shackle 50.

The construction of safety hook as referred to, is such that the hook 3 cannot be opened until the locking member is shifted manually outwardly on its pivot and upon the shifting of the locking member 25 out wardly, the retaining element 12 will be automatically shifted to open position and by this arrangement the hook 3 is always maintained closed until the locking member 25 is manually released. As before stated, when the retaining element 12 is manually shifted to close the hook 3, the member 25 automatically assumes locking position to lock the element 12 in closed position, and

it is thought that the many advantages of such construction of safety hook can be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, yet changes in the details of construction can be had which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat I claim is l. A safety hook comprising a shank having a hook element extended therefrom, a retaining element pivotally connected to the shank and overlapping and engaging in the outer edge of the hook element to close the xameja spring controlled locking member pivotally connected at one end 'to and pro jecting from the outer edge of said retaining element, said locking member engaging in one side edge of said. shank for locking the retaining element in closed position, and a spring controlled shifting member pivotally connected to the shank and bearing against said retaining element for automatically shifting it to open osition when the locking member is releasec and further exerting a holding pressure on the locking member when the latter engages in the shank.

2. A safety hook comprising a shank having a hook element extended therefrom, a retaining element pivotally connected to the shank and overlapping and engaging in the outer edge of the hook element to close the same, a spring controlled locking member pivotally connected at one end to and projecting from the outer edge of said retaining element, said locking member engaging in one side edge of said shank for locking the retaining element in closed position, and a spring controlled shifting member pivotally connected to the shank and bearing against said retaining element for automatically shifting it to open position when the locking member is released and further exerting a holding pressure on the locking member When'the latter engages in the shank, said hook having its outer edge provided with a socket and said retaining element formed with a lug seating in the socket when the retaining element closes .the hook.

3. A safety hook comprising a shank having a hook element extended thereform, said hook having its bottom edge and a side edge grooved, a retaining element pivotally connected to the shank and overlapping the hook element to close the same, a spring controlled locking member having one end pivotally connected in said retaining ele ment and its other end seating in the groove in the side edge of the shank for locking the retaining element in closed position, and aspring controlled shifting member having one end pivotally connected in the groove at the inner edge of the shank and bearing against said retaining element for automatically shifting it to open position when the locking member is released and further exerting a holding pressure on the locking member when the latter is in locking position. i i

4. A safety hook comprising a shank having a hook element extended therefrom, said hook having its bottom edge and a side edge. grooved, a retaining element pivotally connected to the shank and overlapping the hook element to close the same, a spring controlled loeking member having one end pivotally connected in said retaining element and its other end seating in the groove in the side edge of the shank for'locking the retaining element in closed position, a spring controlled shifting member having one end pivotally connected in the groove at the inner edge of the shank and bearing against said retaining element for automatically shifting it to open position when the looking member is released andfurther exerting a holding pressure on the locking member when the latter is in locking position, said hook element having its outer edge provided with a socket, and said retaining element provided with a-lug seating in said socket when the retaining element is in. closed position. v 7

57 A safety hook comprising a shank hav ing a hook element extended therefrom, a retaining element pivotally connected to the shank and overlapping the hook element to close the same, a locking member pivotally carried by said retaining element and engaging in the shank for locking the retaining element in closed position, means carried by the retaining element and engaging the looking member for maintaining it in looking position, and spring controlled pivoted means carried by the shank and engaging said retaining element for automatically shifting it to open position when the locklng member is released and further exerting a holding pressure on the locking member when the latter is in looking position.

6. Avsa'fety hook comprising a shank having a hook element extended therefrom, a retaining element pivotally connected to the shank and overlapping thevhook element to close the'same, a locking member pivotally carried by said retaining elementand engaging in the. shank for locking the retaining element in closed position, means carried by the retaining element and engaging the locking member for maintaining it in looking position, spring controlled pivoted means carried by the shank and engaging said retaining element for automatically shifting it. to open position when the looking member isreleased and further exerting a holding pressure on the locking member when the latter is in looking position, said hook element having its outer edge provided with a socket, and said retaining element having its inner edge formed With a lug" seating in said socket When the retaining element is in closed position.

tion,

7. A safety hook comprising a shank havclose the same, a grooved locking member pivotally carried by said "retaining element and engaging 111 one side edge of the shank for locking the retaining element in closed position, a controlling spring carried by the retaining element and sliding in the groove of the locking member for maintaining it in locking position, a grooved shifting memher pivotally carried by the shank, and a controlling spring connected to the shank and sliding in the groove of the shifting member and acting to automatically shift the retaining element to open position when the locking member is released and further exerting a holding pressure on the locking member when the-latter is in "looking posi- In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto. i

THEOPOLIS .NOl/VLAND. 

